John Dickens

There was actually guidance to this effect (knives) pre 2010 under labour as I referenced it in an exclusion appeal. It disappeared under the coalition.

Also - can't help admire/despair at the DfE's attempts to spin this as a positive story in an embargoed press release sent to journos yesterday, before the actual bursary information was published

Govey needs to renew his Schools Week subscription ...

schoolsweek.co.uk/reform-on-ed...

We've seen some green shoots of recovery for teacher recruitment this year

But just like after the one-year Covid boom, government has reacted by slashing spend on bursaries

It was a costly decision last time, but perhaps falling rolls may lesson the impact this time round?

Matt Hood to lead new health reforms ‘delivery unit’ Oak National Academy founder Matt Hood to run new team under health secretary Wes Streeting to cut hospital waiting times and improve GP access

Big scoop in the policy world:

The founder of Oak National Academy @matthewhood.bsky.social will lead a new 'delivery unit' for the Department of Health and Social Care tasked with cutting hospital wait times and improving access to GPs

schoolsweek.co.uk/matt-hood-to...

Edition 406 done and dusted:

Another big white paper scoop

Investigation: RISE advisers call in support from ... their fellow advisers' organisations

The best Labour party conference analysis

Views on Ofsted’s similar schools, home visits, beating Autumn blues and retention

Education secretary @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social being interviewed at packed @csjthinktank.bsky.social and Parentkind fringe here at #lab2025

NAHT is urging school leaders to write to their employer, demanding in strong terms a full risk assessment of new Ofsted inspections and impact on staff wellbeing.

"This is not simply about workload or stress management. It is about preventing avoidable harm – including the most serious outcomes"

Scoop: Mandatory reading test for year 8s (age 13) incoming in the schools white paper, due out this autumn

DfE and Ofsted will have access to school results, but data will only be reported nationally and we understand it won't prompt intervention/early inspection

Edition 405, sneak peek:

Scoop: Labour's white paper to introduce mandatory year 8 reading test

Watchdog sides with school in fair banding row

Long-read: Ofsted chief slams schools over 'tech tax'

An inside look on how SEND reforms are shaping up

Shut out: How schools are turning away vulnerable pupils Schools accused of refusing so many pupils it 'amounts to selection', capping cohorts to prevent in-year transfers and wrongly turning away youngsters in care

❌ Investigation: Councils have accused schools of refusing so many challenging pupils it 'amounts to selection', capping cohorts to prevent in-year transfers of vulnerable pupils and wrongly turning away youngsters in care
schoolsweek.co.uk/shut-out-how...

Edition 404 done and dusted

Special school admissions investigation

The sector grades Ofsted

Our first Boardroom Leader

Northern Star Academies Trust takes the School Spotlight

@edsupportuk.bsky.social CEO talks defining high stakes

Gould: Teacher and pupil voice 'at forefront' of SEND reform New minister also confirms 'there will always be a legal right to additional support' amid SEND backlash

The voices of children, their families and teachers will be 'at the forefront' of SEND reforms, the new education minister has said, as she promised 'there will always be a legal right to additional support'

schoolsweek.co.uk/new-minister...

Standing room only for Westminster Hall debate on SEND, called in response to this petition calling for legal rights to be maintained petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...

Shows the deep concern about upcoming reforms among MPs

Watch here: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

If you enjoy our stories online but don’t subscribe, do take a look at our weekly edition which we’re giving away free today

👇

Edition 403, done and dusted

Scoop: Ofsted won’t publish full consultation findings

Investigation: armed forces now flag SEND failures

@lydiach.bsky.social hunts for education policy at Reform conference

@jackydys.bsky.social digs into new RISE expansion

Plus: can schools handle voting at 16?

Ofsted: Fewer teachers now support ditching one-word grades Poll shows big rise in teachers reporting 'mixed feelings' over inspection change amid report card criticism

Is the sector showing buyer's remorse after trading headline Ofsted grades for report cards?

@teachertapp.bsky.social poll shows teachers now far less supportive of the move to drop headline grades, with way more having 'mixed feelings' amid report card criticism

schoolsweek.co.uk/fewer-teache...

New accountability regime: Attainment checks and profiles School profiles will be trialled this year, with RISE teams to oversee 'informal' attainment checks

We've also had accountability reforms confirmed today too:

- School profiles to be trialled this year

- RISE teams to start 'informal' work with lowest-performing schools

- Intervention measures for new Ofsted report cards confirmed

- Wellbeing charter update

schoolsweek.co.uk/new-school-a...

If she got it, would/could she continue as ed sec too?

This comes at a *really* busy and crucial time for education policy - with reforms on SEND, a white paper and a curriculum review all due this term, alongside the return of new inspections

schoolsweek.co.uk/welcome-back...

Oof. In a month when there’s a lot else on in education this will take a lot of energy! 😬

Worth noting:

Ofsted publicly discredited our story that they were considering delaying the return of routine inspections - saying it was not on the cards

Today they've announced they are ... delaying the return of routine inspections to at least December, potentially January)

Fewer judgements, new grades: Ofsted report cards revealed Unions slam new framework as Ofsted says ‘biggest changes in history’ will bring ‘absolute clarity’

🚨 Ofsted has unveiled its final plan for new report card inspections

Explainer: the 8 big changes you need to know

schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-repor...

News and views: fewer evaluation areas, new grades - but unions threaten action

schoolsweek.co.uk/fewer-judgem...

Want to know a bit more about the new education ministers? You're welcome ...

Reshuffle: Gould appointed minister as McKinnell resigns Newcastle MP says she was offered another role but will return to the backbenches

🔀 It's been a busy reshuffle weekend for education

❌ Catherine McKinnell, Stephen Morgan and Janet Daby depart

✅ Georgia Gould, Josh MacAlister and Olivia Bailey join

Story 👇

schoolsweek.co.uk/reshuffle-ge...

Georgia Gould appointed minister as Catherine McKinnell resigns Newcastle MP says she was offered another role but will return to the backbenches

Breaking: Former council leader Georgia Gould has been appointed education minister, with ex-schools minister Catherine McKinnell departing during Sir Keir Starmer’s front bench reshuffle

schoolsweek.co.uk/reshuffle-ge...

Farage: ‘Let’s start teaching trades and services at school’ Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for school children to be taught “trades and services” as he laid out some of his party’s hopes for the education system. Reform is still in the process of…

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for school children to be taught 'trades and services' as he laid out some of his party’s hopes for the education system schoolsweek.co.uk/farage-lets-...

Here's the reshuffle details - looks like Bridget Phillipson remains as education secretary

Skills brief to move out of DfE – reports New 'growth department' expected to be created following Keir Starmer's reshuffle

Breaking: Keir Starmer has shifted the skills brief out of DfE and into a new reported 'growth department' with the Department for Work and Pensions, led by @patmcfaddenmp.bsky.social

feweek.co.uk/skills-brief...

Reports that skills will be moved out of DfE and into a new 'Growth Department' with DWP.

Could mean a return to a split post-16 ed brief, with 16-19 (and uni's) in one department and 19+ skills and apprenticeships in another